Discover San Vigilio Castle in Bergamo: a historic landmark with breathtaking panoramic views.
Explore its fascinating history, secret dungeons, and enjoy a romantic dinner at one of the upscale restaurants on the hill.
Guided tours available.
Features
A highly visible symbol of power, San Vigilio Castle has for centuries been the residence of the various rulers who have succeeded one another in Bergamo. Located 496 meters high on the hill that gives it its name, it towers over the Upper City, which is why in the past it served a strategic function in case of enemy attacks. From its summit, in fact, you can see nearby Mount Bastia and the villages below in the ancient Breno Valley (now called Valbrembo and Paladina), the esplanade of Almenno, known as Lemine, once an area of great commercial importance, and the villages located along the road leading to the mouth of the Brembana Valley. This panorama, as spectacular as it is boundless, also comes to embrace a large part of the Pre-Alps.
Very striking is the plan of the building, which resembles the shape of a star, with attached four towers called Castagneta, Belvedere, Del Ponte and San Vigilio.
Its dungeons then are quite articulated: a tunnel has also been found, which is partly passable and connects the Castle directly with the northern part of the wall of the hills, inside Fort San Marco.
History of the Castle
The first records of a fortification on the Hill date from around the 6th century AD, although the presence of buildings as early as Roman times is not excluded. In 889 the future king of Italy Arnulf of Carinthia decided to conquer it, wresting it from the religious community that had been present since the 6th century and had built a small fortress called Castello della Cappella (from the chapel dedicated to St. Mary Magdalene). The place then became a military garrison of high strategic importance, to the point that in 1166 the City Council of the city of Bergamo decided to build a larger castle there than the previous one. Thanks to the interventions of the Duchy of Milan in the 14th century and especially of the Republic of Venice in the 15th century, San Vigilio Castle is further expanded and strengthened. Numerous changes were made, including four towers equipped with embrasures and embrasures, connected by a polygonal-shaped surrounding wall, and a protective moat. During the sixteenth century there were repeated sieges by the French and Spanish; it was then decided to build an imposing city wall. The central tower of medieval origin was also demolished to allow a greater influx of military garrisons, and soldiers’ quarters and the castellan’s house were built.
Events and visits
As early as the end of the 19th century, the Castle shows its vocation for tourism: the entire structure is purchased by the Soregaroli family, which opens a restaurant there. A sort of premonition, since today the hill of San Vigilio, with its two luxury restaurants, is considered one of the ideal destinations if you want to indulge in a dinner for two. Also complicit in the lovers’ atmosphere you’ll breathe in is the St. Vigilius funicular, built in 1912 to connect the hill to the St. Alexander’s Gate. The castle later became the property of the City of Bergamo, which opened them to the public in 1962, while the funicular, stopped since 1976, was restored in 1991. Currently you can still visit the secret passage that connected the Fort of San Marco with the castle itself, thanks to the activities of the speleological group Le Nottole, which provide guided tours by appointment.